XI 
ON OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAUSES 
OF THE PHENOMENA OF ORGANIC 
NATURE 
[Sia Lectures to Working Men.—1863.] 
if 
THE PRESENT CONDITION OF ORGANIC NATURE. 
WHEN it was my duty to consider what subject I 
would select for the six lectures which I shall now 
have the pleasure of delivering to you, it occurred 
to me that I could not do better than endeavour 
to put before you in a true light, or in what I 
might perhaps with more modesty call, that which 
I conceive myself to be the true light, the position 
of a book which has been more praised and more 
abused, perhaps, than any book which has appeared 
for some years ;—I mean Mr. Darwin's work on the 
“Origin of Species.” That work, I doubt not, 
many of you have read ; for I know the inquiring 
‘Spirit which is rife among you. At any rate, all 
of you will have heard of it,—some by one kind of 
report and some by another kind of report; the 
